Little Merlin
by twilightHDfan
Summary: Walking into Merlin's room, Arthur didn't expect to find a small boy who had an uncanny resemblance to his manservant or that he'd have to look after said boy.
1. Little Manservant

**Title** – Little Merlin

**Rating** – PG (for now)

**Characters** – Arthur, Merlin, Morgana, Gwen, Uther, Gaius

**Warnings** – de-aging, angst (a little), OOC (maybe) (that's it for now)

**Spoilers** – Some for season 1

**Disclaimer** – Unfortunately Santa didn't bring me the rights (or the characters) to Merlin for Christmas, so they don't belong to me

**Summary** – Walking into Merlin's room, Arthur didn't expect to find a small boy who has an uncanny resemblance to his manservant

**A/N** – This was originally a prompt for merlin_muses. Unfortunately real life got very hectic and I wasn't able to finish it until now. I hope that the original prompter gets to read this

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**Chapter 1**

Little Manservant

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Arthur froze as he walked into Merlin's room, staring for a few seconds, before walking outside again.

No, he was most definitely in the right place; he hadn't walked into one of the other rooms by mistake.

So why was there a little boy standing in Merlin's room, looking around with big blue eyes, ears sticking out, his raven hair almost falling into his eyes, as he struggled to move in the too big clothes he had on.

"Can I help you?" he asked, confusion running through him, before the thought that Morgana had probably set this up crossed his mind.

"Um," the little boy said, shrugging, his face the picture of misery, as he looked around the room, before his eyes went back to Arthur, a glassy sheen appearing in them.

Arthur took a step further into the room, stopping when he saw the look of fear that crossed the boy's face. He wasn't good with children, had never been good with them, leaving them to Morgana and the other ladies in the court.

From his best guess, and Arthur knew that wasn't saying much, the boy couldn't be older then two or three, and he was … starting to cry.

"Oh, no," he said, walking further into the room, stopping when it seemed to make the boy cringe. "Don't cry. I can help you, I … where do you live?"

The little boy sniffled, a pout on his face, as he shook his head, shrugging, the shirt he was in slipping, the boy pulling it back up again.

"Okay," Arthur said, holding his hands out, hoping that it calmed the boy like it did with the flighty horses he sometimes had. "Can you tell me your name?"

The little boy sniffed again, wiping his nose on the overlarge t-shirt, Arthur trying not to cringe, before he looked back up at the Prince, the child's blue eyes pulling at some protective instinct in Arthur.

"Murin," the boy mumbled.

"Murin?" Arthur asked, barely holding back the grin when the little boy's wide eye stare turned into a glare.

"Merlin," the boy said again, this time with more force, pronouncing his name as if Arthur was stupid.

Arthur grinned, before what the child said clicked, something in him clenching.

Looking at the child, he wondered how he hadn't seen it before. The child was a dead ringer for Merlin, the big blue eyes, the dark, messy hair, the way he seemed to be ready to trip, even when he was standing still. The ears.

This child was Merlin's. That's why he was in Merlin's room. The mother must have left him here, or maybe, maybe Merlin knew he had a son and the child was visiting.

Arthur felt his heart clench, shocked when he felt the shot of jealousy run through him at the thought of Merlin being with someone in an intimate fashion. Merlin had a son, a son that he had never told Arthur existed. Looking away from the boy, Arthur wondered why a lump had appeared in his throat.

It wasn't like he and Merlin were anything more then master and servant after all. Why would Merlin tell him something as important as the fact that he was a father?

Arthur almost jumped when he felt something tug on his sleeve, looking down into the blue eyes that he knew so well, although not used to seeing them on a child, seeing the little boy shifting from foot to foot.

"Um," he said, hating the uncertainty that ran through him. "Yes?"

"Toyet?" the little boy, Merlin, Arthur reminded himself, asked, still jiggling.

"Oh, uh, yes, it's out this way," he said, showing the boy where the bathroom was, watching as the little boy walked inside, his clothes trailing after him.

Leaning against the wall, Arthur wondered why the kid was wearing clothes that were far too big for him, why the neckerchief that was wrapped around …

He stood up straight.

No.

No, no, no.

That's impossible.

His heart started to race as he remembered what had happened earlier that morning. He and Merlin had gone hunting, Arthur pleased when he had managed to find a deer easily, setting up his bow and arrow. He had been about to shoot, only to be attacked from behind.

The woman had hit him hard, but Arthur had managed to get up, pulling Merlin so he was behind him and drawing his sword.

The woman had laughed, told him that he had no idea what he was dealing with and then pulled out a vial, tossing the contents towards him, whispering something at the same time. Before, Arthur could even react, he felt himself pushed down, his head hitting the ground hard, black spots dancing in his vision.

When he finally was able to pull himself up, the woman was gone, Merlin standing there looking at him in worry, water dripping over him.

He'd asked what had happened and Merlin had said the woman had disappeared and that everything was fine.

Except … except maybe it wasn't.

The kid looked identical to Merlin, exactly what Arthur could've pictured his manservant looking at that age. The kid was wearing clothes much too large for him, along with the neckerchief that Arthur had noticed Merlin was wearing that morning. And the kid had said his name was Merlin.

His head snapped around when he heard a crash, his eyes falling to the little boy sprawled on the floor. Merlin looked up at him, tears forming in his eyes, his bottom lip trembling as he looked down at his grazed hands.

Standing there, Arthur wasn't sure what to do, feeling completely out of his depth and like he was drowning, trying to remember what his nannies had done for him when he had been younger.

"Mommy," Merlin whispered, his voice pulling at something in Arthur, the Prince on the floor by his side before he'd even realized it.

Taking the little boys hands, he wiped his hands over them, jumping a little when Merlin giggled.

"Odd at every age," he murmured to himself, watching Merlin's smile turn into a small frown, the boy looking at him with concentration, as if trying to work something out.

Sitting there, Arthur was more sure then ever that little Merlin, was in fact, his completely incompetent man servant, big Merlin.

And when did he start calling people 'big' and 'little'?

"Merlin, are you in here?"

Freezing, Arthur felt his breathing stop, as he heard Gaius's voice floating through the door.

Oh. No.

The old man couldn't hear about this, if he did Arthur would never hear the end of it. Well, he would, but he'd be given the stare, and then The Eyebrow, and Arthur hated The Eyebrow.

The Eyebrow that said 'I know this is all your fault, Arthur', which would in turn make Arthur feel extremely guilty and then start stammering like he was a little boy.

He hated stammering like he was a little boy.

"Merlin," he said a little urgently, the little boy's blue eyes resting on his face. "We're going to … play … a little … game. It's called 'let's hide in the room until the scary old man is gone'."

Merlin's frowned deepened, before he nodded, a smile spreading across his face, Arthur unable to ignore the dimples, a small smile crossing his face unwillingly at the sight.

Gaius's footsteps snapped him out of his daze, quickly reaching and picking Merlin up, wrapping the extra large clothes around him, the little boy giggled as he moved into his room, opening the cupboard.

"Now remember, Merlin," Arthur whispered, looking over his shoulder, before turning back. "You have to be quiet and not come out until I tell you to, okay?"

The little boy giggled, putting a finger to his lips, his raven hair flopping all over the place, as he nodded, eyes wide.

Stopping himself from grinning again, Arthur quickly closed the cupboard door, leaning against it when he heard Gaius walking into the room.

"Your highness," Gaius said, confusion in his voice, as he looked around. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for my manservant, of course," Arthur replied, just stopping himself from flinching when he heard a small giggle.

Gaius frowned, giving him a long look, moments away from The Eyebrow, Arthur was sure, before he gave a small nod.

"Well, when you see Merlin, tell him that I have work for him to do," Gaius said, looking around the room once more, before turning and leaving.

Arthur almost cursed when he saw that Gaius had just moved to his work table, wondering how he was going to get Merlin out before this whole incident turned into his fault, instead of his bumbling manservant's.

Pacing, Arthur stopped when he saw the cupboard open, a raven haired head poking out, wide grin on Merlin's face as he giggled again.

Looking out the door nervously, Arthur made his way over to the cupboard, keeping one eye on Gaius the whole time. He couldn't stay in Merlin's room, if he did Gaius would get suspicious and come and investigate, so he had to get the little boy out somehow.

"Merlin," he whispered, kneeling down. "We have to leave, but … we can't let Gaius know, so we have to be really quiet, and squat down, so he can't see us, okay?"

Merlin stared at him for a few moments, before holding his arms up.

"Um," Arthur said, taking them and giving them a little wiggle, grimacing when Merlin giggled again, grabbing onto one of Arthur's hands.

Frowning, Arthur shook his hand, trying to dislodge Merlin's hand, glaring when the little boy just squeezed his hand.

"Fine," he whispered, "but only until we get outside."

Merlin just stared at him, grinning as he swung their hands back and forth.

"Okay," Arthur said, moving towards the door.

He watched Gaius for a few moments, waiting until the old man looked like he wouldn't turn around for awhile, before quickly moving across the room towards the door. Unfortunately, little Merlin's legs weren't as long as big Merlin's, and Arthur had only noticed big Merlin's long legs because it meant that he had to make sure that he strode a little faster when he walked with Merlin, not because he looked at Merlin's legs, or pants, or any further up at all, so the time Arthur thought he had wasn't long enough.

Cursing in his mind, he realized that Merlin may have been slower also because Merlin was still in his huge clothes, which were making it hard for him to walk. Whatever the reason, Gaius was turning around and Arthur was trying to think of all the excuses he could come up with that would stop the Eyebrow.

Swallowing hard, Arthur straightened, rolling his eyes when Merlin's little hand stayed in his, waiting for Gaius to see them.

Opening his mouth to say that this was all Merlin's fault, Arthur watched as Gaius's shirt pulled over his head, the old man spluttering. Thinking quickly, Arthur decided that he could wonder how that happened later, and so picked Merlin up, running out of the room and towards his room.

"Arthur?"

Ignoring Morgana's voice, Arthur continued to his room, not stopping until he was in the door, Merlin standing in front of him staring up at him, his eyes golden.

"Merlin?" he asked, not even realizing that they were still holding hands, his thoughts all focused on Merlin's eyes, which had been blue before, now swirling gold.

The little boy simply continued to stare up at him, the clothes which had been too big a moment before, now fitting him perfectly, right down to the neckerchief.

"How did you do that?" Arthur asked, his chest tightening, a thought crossing his mind, before Arthur pushed it away, refusing to believe that he'd been _lied_ to this entire time, that there was nothing magical about-

He cut that thought off, glaring down at the little Merlin.

"Merlin, how did you do that?" he asked sharply, refusing to feel bad when the little boy slipped his hand out of Arthur's, staring up at him with glassy blue eyes.

Merlin looked away, his lower lip trembling.

Arthur felt his heart clench again, reminding himself that even if Merlin had lied to him this entire time, had allowed him time and time again to open up, the whole time smiling and acting like they were _friends_, something that Arthur hadn't wanted, but had slowly started to accept, it wasn't this little boy's fault.

Except … except it was all a lie, Merlin clearly didn't trust him, didn't consider him a friend at all.

Tightening his fists, he turned around opening the door.

"Stay here, Merlin," he said, his voice as cool as ice, before he strode out, slamming the door shut behind him, and slamming his hand into a wall.

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**A/N** – I hope that you enjoyed the first part. Let me know what you thought. Will be updating every Monday (unless coerced to update earlier ;)).


	2. Knights and Monsters

**A/N** – As a thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I'm putting this chapter up early. I hope you enjoy :).

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**Chapter 2**

Knights and Monsters

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Groaning, he bit his lip, grabbing his hand and squeezing his eyes shut as he leant against the wall.

Merlin had lied to him.

Merlin used magic.

Merlin didn't trust him.

Why did those thoughts hurt so much?

"Well, that was smart."

Looking at the ceiling, Arthur wondered who he had annoyed to have the day he was having today.

"Morgana," he replied, turning his head to look at the woman staring at him amusement. "How can I help you today?"

Morgana stared at him for a moment, small smile on her face as she glanced at his door, before looking back at him.

"Having a _little_ bit of a hard day?" she asked, eyebrow raised. "Want to tell me about it?"

Ignoring the throbbing in his hand, Arthur straightened up, taking a breath before looking back at her.

"No, everything's fine," he replied, running a hand through his hair, wincing as he realized it was his hurt hand.

"The day's still _young_, Arthur," Morgana said, her eyes flitting to the door. "If you change your mind and need my help, you know where to find me."

Arthur snorted as she walked past.

"Like that's going to happen," he called to her retreating back.

Staring at his door, Arthur slid down the wall, wondering how he could be so stupid. It was obvious now that he thought about it. All those times he'd been knocked out, only to wake up and find Merlin standing there fine, the attacker gone, or knocked out, or tied up.

Or the mysterious tree branches that fell on their opponents, or, or …

Giving a bitter laugh, Arthur hit his head back against the wall, wondering why he cared so much about Merlin lying to him.

Maybe it was because Merlin was the first person who treated him as Arthur, and not as the Crowned Prince or a knight of Camelot.

Closing his eyes, he wished that he could just spend the day out here, not having to face anyone or anything that reminded him of how betrayed he felt. But his father had always taught him that he should face everything head on.

Standing, he reminded himself that the little boy in his room wasn't to blame, he could yell and hit him when he became big again.

If he became big again.

And Arthur had no idea how to go about helping Merlin become big again so that he _could_ hit him. He hoped that it would just fix itself. The thought of Merlin not turning back into his older self making something twist viciously in him.

Arthur pushed the thought away as he opened the door, frowning when he didn't see anyone even remotely looking like Merlin in the room.

"Hello?" he called, wincing a little as he heard the angry tinge still in his tone. "Merlin?"

Putting his hands on his hips, Arthur looked around, wondering if the young boy had managed to magic himself out of the room, panic running through him at the thought of little Merlin out there by himself, showing people his magic, not realizing what happened to his people in this kingdom.

A sniffle interrupted his thoughts, Arthur turning towards the bed and making his way slowly over to it.

"Merlin?" he called, his voice softer this time, Arthur waiting a few moments and rolling his eyes when no head was appearing.

What was it with Merlin and beds anyway?

"Merlin?" he said again, crouching down on the floor, looking under the bed.

Guilt rushed through him when he saw the little boy, hair a mess, tears streaming down his face, as he lay on his side, knees pulled to his chest.

"Mommy?" Merlin whispered, more tears slipping down his face.

"Um, no," Arthur replied, cursing again that he didn't know how to deal with children.

The little boy looked back at him in misery, Arthur wondering if anyone had ever looked that sad, the protectiveness that he tried to ignore concerning Merlin making itself known.

"But, if you come out," he continued, trying to think of something kids like Merlin would like to do. "We can play … knights and monsters?"

It had been a game he'd played once, a long time ago, and he thought he might still have his toy sword and shield around somewhere.

Merlin was looking at him with interest now, his arms falling away from his knees, as he moved a little closer.

"Sowwy," he whispered, his eyes wide and imploring, and Arthur had to think for a moment before he remembered about the magic, and how Merlin had lied.

Looking away for a moment he swallowed, making sure his face would show none of his anger and hurt, reminding himself that he couldn't take it out on a little boy, before turning back to his manservant.

"It's alright, Merlin," he replied softly, glad to hear his voice was clear of any anger. "But you have to be careful who you use it in front of."

Merlin nodded, Arthur wondering if Hunith had had this conversation with him a lot when he was younger, no doubt causing the older woman to have many near heart attacks with Merlin being the bumbling idiot he was, before he slowly slid out.

Pushing himself up, Arthur hissed, looking down at his hurt hand and surprised to see it was swelling, his knuckles looking red and starting to bruise.

Merlin frowned as he looked at the hand, before looking up at Arthur. Biting his lip, he reached out, his hand resting on top of Arthur's, something glowing between them, his eyes turning the same glowing gold they had before.

"Merlin," he said sharply, looking down at his now healed hand.

The little boy flinched back, his eyes looking at Arthur in a way that had the Prince wanting to say he'd let the boy do anything, but he knew if anyone else saw Merlin do magic, he'd be put to death.

The thought made his stomach rebel, as he thought of little Merlin being killed, or even his big Merlin, panic and worry rushing through him at the idea.

"You can't do that," he continued, his voice softer then initially. "Even if you want to."

"Hurt," Merlin replied, folding his arms and glaring up at Arthur.

"I know," he said, kneeling down. "But I would've healed with time. If someone saw you, _you_ might get hurt."

Merlin shrugged, Arthur wondering if the little boy understood a word he was saying, or whether Merlin had been so careless from the day he was born.

Shaking his head, Arthur briefly wondered if all kids were so hard to talk to. He stared down when he felt a tug on his pants, staring in shock at the two play swords the little boy was holding, grinning up at him.

"Where did you …" he trailed off, shaking his head, deciding that he couldn't say anymore about Merlin's magic today. "Never mind."

Ignoring all of his conflicting feelings, Arthur couldn't help but smile as Merlin held the sword up to him, big grin on his face, giggle escaping again as Arthur took it, the little boy taking off out of the room.

"Merlin!" Arthur called, chasing after him, surprised at how quick the kid was, running down the corridor after the little boy.

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"Arthur?"

Freezing, Arthur turned around, throwing the toy sword he had off to one side, and giving his father his full attention, praying that Merlin wouldn't come back now. They had been playing knights and monsters for awhile now, Arthur surprised at how much he enjoyed it, warmth filling him as Merlin had smiled and laughed. The little boy was currently pretending to be a growling monster, Arthur trying to find him, while trying not to think of the boy as adorable.

"Yes, Father?" he replied, pasting an innocent look on his face.

Uther stared at him for a moment, his eyes going to where Merlin had disappeared before returning to him.

"Did I just see you playing with a little boy?" Uther asked, folding his arms.

"What?" Arthur replied, pretending to look shocked and outraged. "Of course not!"

"Really?" Uther asked, eyebrow raised, a clear indication that he didn't believe Arthur at all.

"Yes, I have much better things to do then … be off gallivanting around, playing knights and monsters with some kid," Arthur replied, swallowing a little as he realized he was blabbering.

He'd specifically picked this part of the castle because no one ever came through here, he couldn't help but once again think about who he must have annoyed to be having the run of bad luck he was having.

"And that little boy, who is he?" Uther said, pointing to the archway, Arthur praying that Merlin wasn't standing there.

Turning slowly, he clenched his jaw when he saw Merlin staring at them, the little boy's eyes narrowed as he looked at Uther, before looking back at Arthur with a worried look crossing his face.

"I have no idea," Arthur replied, turning a little to address his father. "One of the servant's children perhaps?"

"Really?" Uther repeated, staring at Arthur with a suspicious look.

"Or maybe Morgana's looking after him," Arthur continued, when he saw her walking towards them, staring at Merlin with a curious look, before looking at Arthur.

Was everyone going to walk into this part of the castle?

"You know this little boy, right, Morgana?" Arthur asked, giving her a significant look, Morgana smirking before addressing Uther.

"Yes," she replied, clearly willing to play along with Arthur for now, although the quick glance she sent him, told him that he would have to explain to her later. "He's the child of a friend of Gwen's. I've been looking all over for him."

Uther stared at them both, suspicious look still on his face, before he nodded slowly, moving past them.

"Kindly tell your servant that I don't want little children running around my castle," he said to Morgana, before turning back to Arthur. "I need to talk to you, Arthur."

"Oh," Arthur said, stopping himself from looking back at the little boy whose gaze he could feel on his back. "Of course, I'll be right down, father."

"Now, Arthur," Uther said, cocking his head to the side, eyes narrowed. "We can talk as we walk."

Arthur couldn't help but spare a quick glance to Merlin, the little boy frowning as he looked between him and his father, lower lip sticking out in a pout.

"Yes, Arthur," Morgana added, walking over to Merlin and resting a hand on the little boy's shoulder. "And I'll take this young man back to Gwen, so we can take him home to his parents."

Swallowing hard, Arthur nodded, not allowing any of his concern or worry cross his face, heart clenching as he thought of leaving Merlin with anyone but him.

"Come, Arthur," Uther said, turning and starting to walk away, Arthur following after him reluctantly, ignoring the part of him that wanted to turn around and make sure Merlin was okay.

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**A/N** – So Arthur is slowly working through finding out about Merlin's magic. It certainly helps that Merlin is adorable. As always let me know what you thought. The next part will be up Monday :).


	3. Uther Pendragon's Son

**A/N **– Huge thanks to all those who reviewed, you guys really make my day. Reviews feed the plot bunnies! Also this is the last chapter of Arthur having his little pity party, after this he starts to actually think about why certain people didn't tell him about their magic.

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**Chapter 3**

Uther Pendragon's Son

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Through the whole discussion with his father, Arthur couldn't concentrate, his thoughts drifting to the little boy he'd left with Morgana. He trusted Morgana to a certain point, but he wasn't sure what Merlin would reveal to her and Gwen.

He was still angry, part of him itching for Merlin to return to normal so that he could give his manservant a piece of his mind, but he didn't want anyone else to know. The more people that knew, the more danger Merlin was in.

"… need you to go check it out tomorrow, Arthur."

Head snapping up, Arthur nodded, smile crossing his face.

"Yes, Father," he replied, quickly rising from his seat and making his way to the door, ignoring the 'Arthur' he heard Uther call, knowing that his father would let him be for now.

Making his way quickly to Morgana's rooms, Arthur's chest got tighter, his heart racing that little bit faster, as he pushed through the door, relaxing when he saw Merlin sitting on the floor with Morgana and Gwen, watching with a smile as they read him something. Merlin smiling at them, though Arthur felt some what relieved when he saw it wasn't the same smile that he got.

He must have made some kind of noise, as the little boy turned and launched himself off the floor, latching onto his legs, Arthur having to steady himself from the impact, his hand falling to pat Merlin's head, as the little boy squeezed his legs.

Looking down at the little boy, he didn't miss the relief or happiness that crossed over Merlin's face, smiling a little as he beamed up at him.

"He was a little worried that you didn't like him anymore," Gwen murmured quietly, big smile on her face as she looked at the two of them, clearly finding it amusing that Merlin seemed to have no intention of letting go. "Even when we tried to explain it to him."

"So," Morgana said, standing up, her eyebrow raised in question, as she moved over towards them. "Care to explain what's going on, Arthur?"

"Nothing," Arthur replied immediately.

"Really?" Morgana asked, disbelief in her tone. "So you let little boys latch themselves onto you all the time do you, Arthur?"

"It's complicated," Arthur said, making his way back to the door, Merlin still latched onto him, hoping to get there before Morgana started asking questions that he didn't want to answer.

"So 'un-complicate' it," Morgana replied.

"Merlin asked for my help keeping the boy safe, that's all," Arthur answered, still making his way to the door.

Morgana rolled her eyes, her hand moving, the door slamming shut behind them, her eyes flecked with gold.

Staring at the door, Arthur felt the anger he'd been feeling come back to the surface, pushing Merlin away gently, while glaring at Morgana and ignoring the pout on Merlin's face.

"You," he said, something tearing through him as he realized that not only had Merlin lied to him, Morgana had too.

"Arthur," Morgana murmured, worry and fear crossing her face. "I think it's time we all stop lying and bring everything out into the light. We know that that's Merlin, he told us his name-"

"Do you have magic too?" he snarled at Gwen, feeling a little bad when the woman looked at him with shocked wide eyes.

"Arthur," Morgana said, her voice low, trying to calm him.

"No," he growled, his hand on the door knob. "You … and Merlin …"

Shaking his head, he tried to swallow, finding it difficult and hating that he was affected by the lies so much. He was a Prince, he was better then this, better then feeling like he'd just been torn to pieces, lied to by the two people in the world that he'd felt the closest to.

"I need you to stay here, Merlin," he said, surprised at how calm his voice sounded, even as he felt his hands shaking.

"Arthur," Morgana said again, this time something more in her voice.

Glaring at her, he opened the door, leaving through it and slamming it shut behind him, quickly striding down the hall way.

AMAM

"So you haven't told your father yet."

Stiffening, Arthur pushed off the ledge he'd been leaning against, turning and staring at Morgana, the anger he'd felt gone, numbness and hurt filling the space it had left.

His heart ached as he heard Morgana's statement.

"What do you want, Morgana?" he asked, not surprised when his voice came out flat.

She stared at him for a moment longer, something like regret flashing across her face, before she moved forward, face back to the perfect mask it always was, stopping a few feet in front of him.

"Why haven't you?" she replied, eyes searching his face. "Told Uther, I mean."

Turning away, he felt the anger that had been fading away flare again, gritting his teeth as he stared out the window he'd been looking out.

"Maybe I'm biding my time," he snarled, turning back to her, not feeling any satisfaction at the hurt he saw in her eyes. "You know, waiting until it'll really make me look like a hero to turn in my manservant and the woman who's like a sister to me."

Morgana's eyes widened at the last part of his statement, he'd never said it before, but it was something that he'd always felt, even when he was stewing in his room, hating Morgana for some infraction.

"Arthur," Morgana said, hand reaching out. He ducked it and moved away, weariness filling him again.

"What do you want, Morgana?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.

"It's Merlin," she said, looking away from him for a moment, before looking back at him. "He won't eat anything, he won't play … he … he's just sitting there, staring out the window. He stopped crying awhile ago."

Arthur tried to ignore the guilt and hurt that ran through him, trying not to let it sway him.

"We've tried everything, Arthur," Morgana continued. "But I don't think he'll listen to anyone but you, and … and his magic is starting to become obvious."

Swallowing hard, Arthur shrugged, trying to tell himself that he didn't care about Merlin or his magic.

"Arthur," Morgana said, her voice almost pleading.

Straightening, he turned and stared at her, his face the perfect mask that he'd practiced over the years.

"Fine," Morgana said, giving him a glare before turning and leaving, her gown sweeping out behind her.

Watching her go, Arthur turned and stared out the window again, watching the sun as it set, his room getting darker and colder. Sitting on the sill, he felt the chill through to his bones, but couldn't find it in himself to care, his heart heavy, as he realized that no one saw him as anything more then Uther Pendragon's son.

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**A/N** – So a few people asked about what Uther wanted to talk to Arthur about; it's revealed more in the next couple of chapters. More Merlin in the next chapter as well, I promise! As always, let me know what you thought.


	4. Sweet Dreams

**A/N** – Huge apologies for the late replies to everyone's comments and for this being very late. I'm in the middle of moving and I just started my new job, which made it difficult to update as promised. That said the next one will be up Monday (already written and ready to go), but I apologise if this isn't as good as usual (I'm sooo tired!). I hope you enjoy.

**A/N 2** - Huge, huge thanks to those who reviewed. You guys really make my day.

**Chapter 4**

Sweet Dreams

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Arthur almost jumped when the door pushed open slowly, not surprised when a head of dark, raven hair, poked in through the door. Deciding that ignoring the boy would be the easiest thing, Arthur turned back to stare out the window.

Unfortunately, Merlin never did have any respect for Arthur's personal space, and little Merlin was no exception, toddling over to where Arthur was sitting and pulling himself up, leaning against Arthur.

Ignoring the warmth, Arthur ignored the little boy's shivering, something clenching hard when he felt a splash of something against his arm, knowing that Merlin was crying.

Sighing, he didn't look down at the boy as he lifted his arm, pulling him closer, relaxing as he felt Merlin relax next to him, his heart easing a little as he listened to the little boy's breathing slow, feeling Merlin lean even more against him.

It took him awhile to realize that Merlin hadn't eaten, at least that's what Morgana had said, and Arthur was a little worried by how small Merlin was.

Weren't kids his age supposed to be all rolly and pudgy?

"Merlin," he whispered, watching as the eyes opened, Merlin looking up at him with wariness.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. Merlin nodded slowly, looking up at him with his big blue eyes, making Arthur want to hug the boy.

Making himself resist, he gently pulled his arm away, walking over to the door, not missing Merlin scrambling down from the ledge to follow him, and sticking his head out, knowing that there would be a servant coming past at any moment.

Once he had sent the servant off to find him some food, pushing Merlin back a few times so the person wouldn't see him, he went to the fire place.

"This can't be too hard," he muttered to himself, aware that Merlin was watching him avidly, standing just behind him when he knelt by the fire place.

After a few tries he sighed, running a hand through his hair, jumping when the logs in the fire place suddenly burst into flame. Pulling Merlin further behind him, he relaxed as the flames died down, leaving a roaring fire in its place.

Turning, he saw Merlin's gold eyes, but couldn't think too much about them when he heard the knock on the door. Moving over to the door, he couldn't help but smile a little as he felt Merlin following close behind him again.

"Sire," the young woman said, smiling up at him. "I could put this on the table for you if you would like."

"No, no," Arthur replied, shaking his head. "I'll take it from here."

"Yes, your highness," the woman replied, handing him the tray and leaving.

"See, that's a servant," Arthur muttered to himself, closing the door and carrying the tray over to the table, trying not to smile when Merlin's eyes widened at the sight of the food.

"Hungry?"

Merlin nodded slowly, climbing up onto the chair next to Arthur, his eyes still on the food. Giving in to the urge Arthur smiled, as he made a plate up for Merlin, watching as the little boy stared at it, before starting to eat.

Making up a plate for himself, Arthur started to eat, watching as Merlin chomped away on his food, grinning up at Arthur for the first time since Arthur had stormed out of Morgana's room, the sight making something in Arthur relax.

They were almost finished when the pounding came on the door, Arthur moving towards it before he heard the voice.

"Arthur!"

Opening the door, he was faced with a panicked Morgana, something Arthur had never seen before, the lady usually always cool and composed.

"We've lost Merlin," she said, worry and concern making her voice waver a little. "Somehow Gwen and I both fell asleep, even though I don't remember lying down, and then when we woke up he was gone. I know that you're angry, Arthur, but he's just a little boy. He said he was three and he doesn't understand that he can't show everyone-"

Morgana's rant was cut off when Merlin popped out from where he'd been standing behind Arthur, a happy look on his face as he looked up at Arthur, before looking at Morgana.

"Oh," Morgana continued, biting her lip, Arthur knowing that she was trying not to smile. "Never mind, I'll just leave you to it, then."

With the hurt and anger from her earlier revelation just below the surface, Arthur wasn't sure if he could trust himself to talk, so he just nodded, not missing the flash of hurt on Morgana's face when he shut the door without a word.

He looked down when he felt the tug on his arm, Merlin looking up at him with a frown on his face.

"Sad?" he asked.

Sighing, Arthur shook his head.

"No, I'm fine," Arthur lied, giving the boy a weak smile and moving back over to his chair, resting his head in his hands.

He was shocked when little arms wound around his neck, his position making it easier for Merlin to pull him into a hug.

"Sad," Merlin said, the little boy patting his neck in a way Arthur was sure he thought was reassuring.

"Um, thank you … Merlin," he said, putting his arms loosely around the little boy, awkwardly patting his back, before pulling away.

Merlin held on to him a little longer, before letting go and beaming up at him. Arthur wasn't too sure about children, but he was pretty sure that most weren't as well behaved or mature as the little boy was.

"Baf?" Merlin asked suddenly, looking up at him questioningly.

"Good idea," Arthur replied, standing up and moving over to the door, quickly informing the servant girl from before that he'd like his bath prepared.

"Baf?" Merlin asked again hopefully.

"Yes, they're just getting it ready," he replied.

"Baf! Baf! Baf!"

Arthur couldn't help but feel a little happier when he saw Merlin tearing around the room, jumping every now and again, repeating his mantra over and over, something about it making Arthur smile.

Once the servant, the same girl as before, had informed him that the bath was ready, he led Merlin into the room, frowning when the boy held his arms up to him, staring until Merlin impatiently pulled on his shirt, frowning and looking up at Arthur.

"Oh, right," Arthur said, realizing that the little boy probably needed help.

Once he was undressed, Merlin practically dived into the bath, giggling and splashing as Arthur tried to decide if he should leave the room, or whether the little boy would need help.

It turned out that Merlin knew what he was doing, picking up a cloth and washing himself, Arthur turning his head away to hide his grin when Merlin washed his ears, which looked even larger with Merlin's hair wet against his head.

Once Merlin had finished, Arthur watched as the little boy was swallowed up in the towel, grinning up at Arthur as he ran back into the room. Picking up Merlin's clothes, Arthur followed him, watching as Merlin dried himself by the fire, putting on some bed clothes that hadn't been there before.

He yawned loudly once he was done, Arthur seeing that his eyes were starting to droop.

"I, uh, think it's time for bed," Arthur said, wondering how he was going to get Merlin back to his rooms in Gaius's quarters.

His thoughts were cut off as Merlin walked over to his bed, climbing in and pulling the covers over himself. Deciding that it would be easier to keep Merlin here, where Gaius couldn't see what had happened, Arthur let the little boy get himself comfortable. Once he was, Merlin looked up at him expectantly.

"Um, good night, Merlin," he said, a little uncertainly, patting the boy on the head.

"Kiss?" Merlin asked, rubbing his eyes with a hand, before burrowing further into the pillow and blanket.

Leaning down, he kissed the boy gently on the forehead, watching as Merlin's eyes slid shut, the boy quickly falling asleep.

AMAM

**A/N** – So more will start to happen in the next chapter, more plot but hopefully still cuteness ;). As always let me know what you thought :D.


	5. Aging Sleep

**A/N** – Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. It was the most reviews I've received for one chapter. So … little!Merlin's for all of you. LOL. You guys rock. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

AMAM

**Chapter 5**

Aging Sleep

AMAM

The next morning, Arthur woke to a pair of blue eyes staring at him intensely.

Sitting up, he groaned, rubbing his neck. Sleeping on his chair wasn't the smartest idea he'd ever had. He felt disappointed when he saw that Merlin was still a child, part of him had been hoping that whatever had happened would fix itself when they went to sleep.

"Morning," Merlin said, grinning at him.

Looking more closely at little Merlin, Arthur was surprised to see that the kid had gotten taller and that he looked a little bigger, although he was still skinny compared to other kids Arthur had seen running around in the kingdom.

"Good Morning, Merlin," Arthur replied, wondering if it was just his imagination that the boy looked older. "Um, how … how old are you, Merlin?"

"Almost six," Merlin answered proudly, his eyes leaving Arthur's face and looking around the room. "Wow, is this your room?"

"Yes," Arthur replied, getting up and following the boy as he walked around the room. So Merlin was older. Was it the spell wearing off? Or did him sleeping have something to do with him aging?

It was in that moment that he realized that he kind of missed Merlin. He had always been there to listen to him when he needed someone and although he might have weird ideas, they usually worked out right.

"It's really big!" Merlin exclaimed, holding his arms out. "Almost as big as my mom's _whole_ house."

Frowning, Arthur wondered why Merlin wasn't asking more questions about where he was and where his mom was.

"Merlin," he started, watching as the boy picked up the garish red hat he'd picked out for Merlin to wear to one of the feasts, and put it on his head. "Aren't you … worried that you're not home with your mom?"

Merlin shrugged, the hat slipping down on his head so that he had to push it up with one hand, grinning up at Arthur like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Weird stuff happens some times," he replied, running around the room with the hat on his head, before jumping on the bed. "It always works out in the end though. Mom told me as long as I'm with someone who can help me, someone my gut trusts, I shouldn't be scared."

Shaking his head, Arthur wondered how many times Merlin had found himself in unusual situations, obviously enough to have the little boy not worried at such a young age. But he should've been, the world was a dangerous place, and if the wrong person had seen Merlin's magic at a young age, or now, then they could have turned him in, or used him for their own devices.

The thought had Arthur wondering how Merlin went day to day, looking over his shoulder, wondering if today was the day that someone found out about his powers, and tried to use it against him.

He wondered how many, if any, people knew about Merlin and his magic.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, Arthur striding over and opening it, not missing the way Merlin still followed him, but this time staying out of sight.

"Yes?" he asked, giving a small nod when he saw it was Sir Leon.

"Highness," Leon replied. "The King has asked for a scouting party to be sent out to the forest. He spoke to you about it yesterday? About the reports of people going missing and the belief that sorcery might be at work?"

Hearing the small gasp behind him, Arthur quickly nodded, not missing the suspicious glance Leon gave the door, before looking at Arthur with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll meet you in the court yard … with the horses," Arthur said, nodding again, before closing the door, looking down at Merlin's frowning face.

"What?" he asked, moving to grab his armour, starting to put it on.

"Can I come with you?" Merlin asked, watching Arthur.

"No," Arthur replied, moving to grab his sword.

"Why not?" Merlin asked, following him as he moved around the room and grabbed his things.

"Because," Arthur said, looking down at himself, making sure he had everything, not used to doing this without Merlin, the part of him that missed Merlin raising its head again, reminding him of Merlin's hands moving over him, his brow furrowed as he concentrated on putting on Arthur's armour, beaming up at him when he had thought he was finished …

"Because why?" Merlin replied, interrupting Arthur's thoughts. "I need to be there to protect you. Especially if it's magic!"

Laughing, Arthur looked down at his small shadow, surprised to see the serious look on the boy's face, his arms crossed over his chest, as he looked up at Arthur.

"Oh, well, I'll have knights with me, Merlin," he said. "If I need any protection, which I won't, but if I did need it, they could help."

"But I would help better," Merlin replied, pout on his face, his big blue eyes imploring Arthur to agree, part of Arthur wanting to give into the boy, not wanting to disappoint him, but knowing that the forest was no place for a little Merlin.

"Merlin," Arthur said, running a hand through his hair, before kneeling down in front of the boy. "You need to stay here."

"But-"

"No," Arthur said, holding his hand up, making sure his voice was stern. "You're too young, Merlin, and I don't want you to get hurt."

Frowning, Merlin looked away, before looking back, a determined look on his face.

"So if I could look after myself I could come?" he asked.

"Sure, but you're too young at the moment, so you'll have to stay here," Arthur replied, standing up and getting ready to leave the room.

It wasn't until he got to the door that he realized that he couldn't leave Merlin alone in his room. Someone might come in and try to hurt him, or Merlin might accidentally use his magic which someone could notice.

There were really only two people he could go to for help and they were both in the same place. Which is why he found himself standing outside Morgana's room, looking at the door for a long time before lifting his hand and knocking, smiling a little when he felt Merlin standing just to his left.

"Yes? Oh, your highness."

"Is Morgana in?" he asked, giving Gwen his most charming smile, not missing the small frown that appeared on Merlin's face. He wondered what had Merlin frowning, but pushed the thought aside when Morgana appeared.

"Arthur," she said, a small smile on her face. "Come in."

Following the women into the room, he closed the door once Merlin was in.

"And Merlin," Morgana continued, crouching down. "Don't you look older?"

"I'm almost six," Merlin said, standing up straighter, looking up at Arthur before looking back at the woman.

"Is that right?" Morgana replied, grin crossing her face.

"I was wondering if he could stay with you?" Arthur asked, using all his experiences from court to keep his face and tone polite.

"Of course, Arthur," Morgana answered instantly, a sad look in her eyes. "I hope that we can talk when you get back?"

"Perhaps," Arthur replied, looking away from Morgana's bright eyes, nodding once before turning and walking out of the room.

AMAM

Hours later, Arthur was glad that Merlin hadn't come with them, as he and his knights battled the big, winged creature they'd found in the forest. Whatever it was, it certainly could've been responsible for the people going missing.

Staring, Arthur watched as a huge fire ball went past his knight's heads, the men quickly taking shelter behind a large rock. Arthur knew that they couldn't keep going the way they were. It was only a matter of time before one of his knights was killed instead of hurt. Taking a deep breath, he looked over to where his men were trying to fight the creature while ducking the fire balls.

The creature was distracted, now was the perfect, and probably only, time to try an attack on the beast.

Jumping up from where he had been crouching, Arthur quickly moved towards the beast, swinging his sword as he soon as he was close to the beasts belly, sticking it in with all of his strength, surprised when the beast roared and swung around, knocking him to the ground and advancing on him.

Staring up into the black eyes, Arthur's last thought was of Merlin, not of the adorable little boy, but of his man servant, the one who would smile at him, made him feel like he could be more then what his father and the kingdom wanted him to be, that he could just be himself.

The one who always seemed to be standing by his side.

Closing his eyes, he hoped that it would be quick.

AMAM

**A/N** – Dun! LOL. Sorry. If it's any help, there's a huge hint in this chapter about what's going to happen in the next (at least I think it's a huge hint, it might not be and I just think that cos I know what's in the next chapter). As always, let me know what you thought .


	6. Little Monster

**A/N** – Huge apologies for this not having been updated in soooo long. Unfortunately work is kicking my butt at the moment, with all the overtime I've been working, and I haven't had time to write much. That said, I finally have the next couple of chapters ready to go. I hope that you enjoy them.

**A/N 2** – So for some reason I can't reply to people's reviews. I'll be going through and answering them, but it might take me a little while. So if I haven't replied yet, you'll be getting one soon .

AMAM

**Chapter 6**

Little Monster

AMAM

Opening one eye, Arthur was met with the sight of nothing.

The huge beast that had been advancing on him, Arthur sure that he was about to either be fried or eaten, was gone, nothing but a small little lizard sitting in front of him, blinking in confusion.

It wasn't until he looked at it closer that he realized that the little lizard was the creature just … miniaturized.

Looking over at his knights, he was surprised to see that they were all unconscious.

"What?" he asked in confusion, trying to figure out what had happened.

He turned quickly and drew his dagger when he heard a snap of a twig behind him, sighing when he saw a sheepish look on a face he knew so well, even if it was years younger then what he was used to.

"_Mer_lin, I told you to stay at the castle," Arthur said, trying to glare at the boy, but just glad that he hadn't been hurt and that no one had seen him. If they had, Arthur knew that Merlin would've been taken to his father and put to death, regardless of the fact that Merlin was just a kid, regardless of what Arthur said to his father.

It was in that moment that he realized how dangerous it was for Merlin, or Morgana, to tell anyone about their magic. One word to the wrong person and they could lose their life.

"She was trying to hurt you," Merlin said, crossing his arms and staring at Arthur defiantly. "And I'm supposed to protect you."

Laughing to himself, Arthur shook his head, wondering how Merlin knew the creature was a 'she', watching as the boy walked over and picked up the little lizard, grinning as the beast blew a small fire ball that disappeared before it could hit Merlin.

"Can I keep it?" Merlin asked, hopeful look on his face.

"Uh, no, Merlin," Arthur replied, trying to ignore the part of him that wanted to give in, Merlin once again giving him his pleading look.

"You can't kill it!" Merlin exclaimed, pulling the creature closer to his chest, glaring up at the Prince.

"Merlin," Arthur started, crouching down. "It's killed a lot of people and it might not stay small for long. We can't risk it hurting others again."

"It won't!" Merlin exclaimed. "It doesn't belong here; it likes caves, and cattle. Not forests and people."

"Merlin," Arthur said, shaking his head. "We can't risk the beast hurting other people."

"If we take him to a cave, he'd stay there and wouldn't' hurt anyone." Merlin argued, pouting and pulling the creature closer to his chest.

Part of Arthur wanted to give in, the look on Merlin's face once again making him want to give the boy anything, but he had to think of his people, of what might happen if the creature were to grow big again.

"I can't," Arthur replied.

"If he does come out here again, I'll know," Merlin said, looking up at Arthur with wide eyes, begging for him to agree. "And I'll stop him."

"Please?"

It was the please that had him, Arthur feeling his resolve waver and he slowly nodded, finding himself with Merlin latched onto his legs again, the creature giving a growl of surprise.

As if they had been waiting for the end of the conversation, the knights all started to come around, Arthur waiting until they were all awake before ordering them back to the castle, not missing the curious looks his men shot Merlin.

"Alright, Merlin," Arthur said, putting the little boy up onto the horse, before getting up behind him, making sure they were both secure before stirring the horse on.

He couldn't believe that he was actually agreeing to letting a beast go, a magical beast at that, but he wanted to believe Merlin when he said that it wouldn't actually hurt anyone, that it had come here by mistake.

Which raised the issue – how did the beast, if it really was a cave dwelling creature, get to be in the forest outside of Camelot?

The only answer that came to mind was that a sorcerer had somehow magicked or lured it there, which was more worrying then the beast, because if Merlin was right, they wouldn't have to worry about the beast again, but the sorcerer would try again.

He and the other knights had been lucky Merlin had disobeyed Arthur's orders. If the little boy hadn't, Arthur would've been hurt, or even killed, along with a number of his knights.

He wondered how many times Merlin's magic had saved his life and those of his people's. His gut was telling him that the answer was a lot.

AMAM

Riding back towards the castle, Arthur was having a minor panic attack.

He'd just let go a magical creature, who had hurt a number of people, on the word of a six year old.

"It'll be okay, Arfur," Merlin said, and no, Arthur did not find the way he lisped his name adorable, not at all. "He knows not to come near Camelot again."

"If you say so, Merlin," Arthur replied, remembering that Merlin shouldn't have even been out there today, that he'd expressly told the little boy that he had to stay in the castle, that he couldn't come.

"What were you doing out there anyway?" he asked, fear and worry making him angry, as he thought of Merlin getting hurt. "I ordered you to stay in the castle."

"You said I could come if I could look after myself," Merlin replied, turning and grinning up at him.

"I … did not!" Arthur said, frowning, trying to remember exactly what he'd said, because what Merlin had said did sound familiar.

"Yes, you did," Merlin replied, frowning up at him. "You said 'sure', when I asked if I could come if I could look after myself."

"I … it … you … you know that I didn't want you to come, Merlin," Arthur stuttered out, wondering how a six year old had outsmarted him.

"But I'm supposed to protect you!" Merlin replied, turning to look at the streets as they entered Camelot.

"Merlin," Arthur said, shaking his head, knowing that he wasn't about to convince Merlin that he didn't need protecting. "How did you get out there anyway?"

Hopping down off the horse, Arthur turned and saw Merlin looking down at him expectantly, his arms out. Picking the little boy up, he put him down on the ground, raising an eyebrow when Merlin still hadn't answered.

"Um," Merlin said, looking up at Arthur sheepishly.

"Ah, your highness."

Spinning around quickly, and pushing Merlin behind him, Arthur smiled up at Gaius, hoping the physician wouldn't realize how fake it was.

"I was wondering if you'd seen Merlin?" the old man asked, frowning and leaning so that he could see behind Arthur.

"Um, no," Arthur replied, keeping Merlin behind him as he pretended to look confused. "I've been out hunting, and … haven't seen my bumbling manservant since last night."

Trying to keep his face innocent, Arthur stared back at Gaius, trying not to make the gulp he swallowed obvious as Gaius narrowed his eyes at him.

"Really?" Gaius asked, sounding like he didn't believe him for a second.

"I'm afraid so," Arthur said, cursing Merlin when the little boy started trying to pull out of his grip, giggling a little.

"And who, might I ask, is that?" Gaius asked, eyes glinting.

"Just a servant's child," Arthur replied, shaking his head, trying to think of a way to get Gaius to leave.

"Gaius!"

Sighing in relief, he watched as Gwen ran down the steps, the girl's eyes widening as she took in Arthur and the way he was trying to hide a child behind his back, before turning to the old man.

"Morgana needs to speak with you," she said, grabbing onto Gaius's arm and gently pulling him away, a look of relief on her face as she glanced back at Arthur.

Watching them go, Arthur let go of Merlin, not missing the frown the boy sent him.

"You lied," he said, crossing his arms.

"Yes, Merlin, I lied," Arthur replied, running a hand over his face, before crouching down. "It's important that people don't know that you're so … little."

"Why?" Merlin asked, frown falling off his face.

"It's just safer," Arthur replied, gently tapping the boy on the shoulder. "I need you to trust me on this, Merlin."

He didn't realize how much he needed Merlin to trust him until that moment, even if it was a little Merlin.

"Okay," Merlin answered, grinning up at Arthur, the ache in Arthur's chest easing even more. "Can we get some lunch now? I'm starving."

Laughing, Arthur stood up, shaking his head.

"You're always starving, Merlin," he replied.

AMAM

**A/N** – As always let me know what you thought .


	7. Apologies

**A/N** – As always huge, huge thanks to those who reviewed. You guys really make my day. Also big thanks to those who read, favourited and alerted the story. You guys also rock .

AMAM

**Chapter 7**

Apologies

AMAM

"Morgana."

Standing in the door way, Arthur watched as his adopted sister jumped, her eyes a little wide as she took him in.

"Arthur," she said, coming over to him, guilt on her face. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how he got away from us. I swear-"

"It's alright," Arthur replied, holding his hand up. "I'm learning that Merlin is quiet … innovative when he wants something."

He watched as a small smile crossed Morgana's face, concern replacing the worry in her eyes when she took in what he looked like.

"What happened?" she asked, reaching out and brushing dirt off his shoulder.

"What always happens in Camelot," he replied, moving further into the room and taking a seat, running a hand through his hair. "Magical creatures hurting people."

"Are you alright?" she asked, coming to sit down next to him. "Is Merlin?"

"I'm fine," Arthur replied. "And so is Merlin, he's sleeping at the moment."

Morgana smiled, a nervous look on her face as she nodded. Arthur had hoped that they could skirt the issue for a little while longer before they talked about the elephant in the room, but he knew that addressing the issue now was the best idea.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, leaning on his knees with his elbows, staring at his hands.

"What?" Morgana asked.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, glancing at her, before looking down at his hands again. "I understand why you didn't tell me, even … even though it hurts, I can understand why you did what you did."

Silence filled the room for a few seconds, before Arthur found himself with Morgana's arms wound around his neck.

"I'm sorry too," she murmured against his neck, before pulling away and pulling herself together. "But … it was, is, just too dangerous to tell anyone."

Arthur nodded, a small smile on his face as he felt more of the weight he'd been feeling lift away.

"So can you … do what Merlin can?" he asked, wondering if Morgana would talk about it. If she chose not to, he'd understand, but part of him was hoping she'd open up to him now that he knew.

"Kind of … it's mainly just dreams that I get," she answered, the rest of her sentence cut off as the door banged open.

Standing up and putting himself between the door and Morgana, ready for an attack, Arthur relaxed as Merlin walked in the door, a pout on his face as he looked at Arthur.

"You left," he said, one of his hands rubbing at his eyes.

"You were supposed to be sleeping," Arthur replied, smile growing as Merlin walked over to them, situating himself between Arthur and Morgana, after Arthur had sat down, leaning against Arthur.

Looking up, Arthur saw Morgana biting her lip, a frown crossing his face as he looked questioningly at the woman.

"It's nothing," Morgana said, shaking her head, the smile she's been trying to stop crossing her face. "I just never knew you were good with kids."

Shifting uncomfortably, Arthur glanced away, cursing the blush he could feel crossing his cheeks.

"So," Morgana said, after a long moment, Arthur clearly hearing her smile at his discomfort in her voice. "Any luck on figuring out how to turn Merlin big again?"

"I am big!" Merlin interrupted, frowning up at Morgana.

"I'm sorry, Merlin," Morgana replied immediately. "Of course you are."

It seemed to placate Merlin, if the big smile on Merlin's face was anything to go on, and the little boy leant his head back onto Arthur's arm.

"Anything?" Morgana asked, eyes flicking down to Merlin before returning to Arthur.

"No idea," Arthur replied, shaking his head and leaning further back into the chair. "Although he's older today then yesterday, so maybe it just wears off?"

Morgana 'hmm'ed under her breath, a thoughtful look on her face before she stood, pacing across the floor, her dressing making a soothing swish sound with every step that she took, Arthur finding it relaxing him a little.

"That doesn't make sense," she replied.

"What doesn't?" Arthur asked.

"That the spell would just wear off," Morgana replied, waving her hand at Arthur, before returning to her pacing. "Something must have happened, something that helped to make him older. This spell, it isn't easy to do, and it wouldn't just wear off like that. The caster would make it so that something had to happen before the spell would allow the person to get older. What did you do last night?"

"Um," Arthur replied, trying to remember what they had done. "Had dinner, then Merlin had a bath and then he went to bed."

"Nothing else?" Morgana asked, stopping and putting her hands on her hips.

"That was it," Arthur replied, the rest of what he was about to say cut off as Leon knocked on Morgana's door.

"Milady," he said, bowing slightly, Arthur noticing the small smile that crossed Morgana's face and storing it away to think about later.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but his majesty wishes to talk to Prince Arthur," Leon continued, curiosity crossing his face as he saw Merlin leaning on Arthur.

Arthur felt Merlin tense next to him, the little boy frowning at Leon as Arthur stood up.

"I'll be there in a moment," Arthur replied, watching as Leon gave another small bow before leaving the room, his eyes looking curiously at Merlin one last time before he left.

"I'm coming with you," Merlin said, crossing his arms and glaring up at Arthur.

"You can't, Merlin," Arthur replied, using the stern voice he used on his knights. "You will stay with Morgana and I'll be back later. But I don't want to see you until I come back, understand? No sneaking away this time, I mean it."

Merlin nodded once, his eyes looking back at Arthur with a light sheen to them, before he looked away.

"Merlin," Arthur said, getting down on his knees, trying not to feel like he was betraying the little boy by leaving him there. "I'll be back, but I need you to stay here, okay?"

Merlin looked up at him from under his fringe, nodding once, before throwing his arms around Arthur's neck.

"Okay," he whispered.

Leaving the room, Arthur tried to stop the feeling that he was abandoning Merlin from growing, his heart breaking a little as he closed the door on Merlin's worried face.

AMAM

**A/N **– As always let me know what you thought and any theories that you might have on how Merlin ages :).


	8. Changing Mindset

**A/N** – Huge thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter, you guys really do make my day. Big thanks to those who read, alerted and favourited, you guys also rock

AMAM

**Chapter 8**

Changing Mindset

AMAM

Walking back to Morgana's rooms, Arthur rubbed his face tiredly, his mind more conflicted then he could ever remember. His father had wanted to meet him to discuss the rumour that there was a powerful sorcerer in one of the villages on the border of Camelot, his father wanted him to take his knights and see if there was any truth to the rumours in a few days' time, once the spy his father had sent there had returned.

It had been so much easier before, before he'd found out about Merlin and Morgana.

His father had said all people who used magic were evil, and from what Arthur had seen of most of them, he'd had to agree. But now, now he wasn't sure that his father was right, that all those people who had been killed were evil sorcerers and sorceresses.

Because he couldn't see Merlin, Merlin who cried over unicorns and ran around being his manservant, being evil. And if Merlin had been this close to Arthur the whole time and hadn't tried anything, then clearly not all magical people were out to hurt Camelot and its rulers.

So how many of those people that had been killed had just been innocent people, who had been born with magic?

It took a moment for Arthur to notice the way the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end, the feeling that he was being watched running through him, as he stopped and looked around.

Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, but Arthur had had too much experience out on the battle field to ignore his gut, and right now it was screaming at him that there was someone out there.

Taking one last look at his surroundings, he quickly resumed his path to Morgana's rooms, the feeling of eyes on him not leaving, even as he made it to his sister's door.

"Arthur."

Smiling at Gwen, he pushed gently past her, shutting the door as soon as he made it in the room.

"Arthur?"

Turning, Arthur took in Morgana where she sat, and tried not to think of what would happen if it were to be discovered that she had magic, that she could see things. The thoughts made him shudder. The unease of being watched making him turn and look at the door once more.

"What's wrong?" she asked, eyes searching his face.

"Nothing," he replied, trying to convince himself that he was most likely just being paranoid, even if his gut was hardly ever wrong.

"Arthur," Morgana said, moving closer to him.

"Just felt like someone was watching me," Arthur replied, glaring when Morgana laughed.

"You are the Prince, Arthur," she answered, "people watch you all the time."

"This was different," Arthur replied, scowling at her. "I can tell when someone's looking at me because of who I am and looking at me because they want to hurt me."

"Did you see anyone?" Gwen asked, worry clear on her face and in her tone.

"No," Arthur replied, shaking his head, relaxing as the feeling that he was being watched disappeared.

"Gwen and I will see if we can see anyone," Morgana said, standing up and making her way towards the door.

"No," Arthur replied, standing in front of the door. "I can't let you go out there if there's someone who will hurt you out there."

Morgana rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at him.

"Really, Arthur," she said. "Chivalry is all well and good, but they're not going to attack us."

"And why won't they attack you?" Arthur asked, even as she pushed past him.

"Because we're not prats," Morgana replied, before closing the door.

Rolling his eyes, Arthur went to follow them, before his eyes settled on the little boy sleeping in Morgana's bed. He couldn't just leave Merlin by himself, especially if there was someone lurking around.

Merlin was even more defenseless than usual, although now that he thought about it, Merlin was never really defenseless, not with his magic there to protect him. He wondered how many times Merlin had used his magic to protect himself, if he had ever used it to protect Arthur.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, grabbing a chair and dragging it over to Morgana's bed, sitting down in it and watching Merlin sleep, while he waited for the girls to return.

AMAM

Arthur jolted awake, not realizing he had fallen asleep. He had just been resting his eyes, waiting for Morgana and Gwen to return.

He couldn't help the panic that ran through him, his eyes moving around the room as his body tensed, wondering if something had happened to the girls. He relaxed as soon as he saw the both of them asleep in two of Morgana's chairs.

Leaning back in the chair, he ran a hand over his face, before looking at the bed, surprised to see Merlin lying there, staring at him.

"Merlin," he said, smile crossing his face as he leaned forward. "Good morning."

"Morning," Merlin replied, bouncing on the bed and towards him, grin crossing his face, as if he'd been waiting to see how Arthur responded to him.

Looking at the boy, Arthur couldn't see a difference in him, Merlin still looking the same age that he had the day before.

"Merlin," he said quietly. "How old are you?"

"Six," the boy replied, continuing to bounce on the bed.

Frowning, Arthur crossed off the idea that sleeping helped Merlin to age, trying to think of why the young boy had aged the last time.

Maybe it had something to do with the bath?

"Can we go into the forest today?" Merlin asked, still bouncing around, grin on his face.

"That sounds like a marvelous idea, Merlin."

Turning, Arthur saw Morgana walking over to them, small smile on her face.

"We can have a picnic," she continued, Arthur unable to stop smiling when Merlin's smile got even bigger.

He couldn't stop the pang that ran through him at the sight, reminded of big Merlin's smile, part of him wishing again that Merlin was back to being himself.

AMAM

**A/N** – As always let me know what you thought :).


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